Headless Commerce Development in the UK
Decouple your frontend from your ecommerce backend for faster page loads, complete design freedom, and true omnichannel selling. Find experienced headless and composable commerce developers in the UK.
What Is Headless Commerce?
Headless commerce is an ecommerce architecture where the frontend presentation layer (the "head") is separated from the backend commerce engine. Instead of using the templates, themes, or page builder that come bundled with your ecommerce platform, your developers build a completely independent frontend that communicates with the commerce backend through APIs.
Decoupled Frontend
The customer-facing storefront is built with modern frontend frameworks such as Next.js, Nuxt, or Gatsby. Developers have complete control over the user experience, design, and performance without being constrained by platform themes.
Commerce Backend via APIs
The backend platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Commercetools, or BigCommerce) handles all core commerce functions: product catalogue, inventory, pricing, checkout, orders, and payments, all exposed through REST or GraphQL APIs.
API-First Communication
Every interaction between the frontend and backend happens through API calls. This enables true omnichannel commerce: the same backend can power your website, mobile app, in-store kiosks, smartwatch apps, and social selling channels simultaneously.
Faster Performance
Static site generation (SSG) and edge caching mean your storefront pages load almost instantly. Pre-rendered pages served from a CDN deliver sub-second load times, improving user experience and conversion rates significantly.
Composable Commerce
Headless architecture is the foundation for composable commerce, where you select best-of-breed services for each part of your stack: one vendor for search, another for content, another for personalisation. Each component can be swapped independently.
Omnichannel Ready
Because your commerce data is accessible through APIs, you can serve any channel from a single source of truth. Web, native mobile apps, progressive web apps, marketplaces, IoT devices, and in-store experiences all pull from the same backend.
Headless vs Traditional Ecommerce
Traditional ecommerce platforms like standard Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento installations bundle the frontend and backend together. This monolithic approach is simpler to set up but limits flexibility. Here is how the two approaches compare.
- Design freedom — headless gives developers unlimited creative control, while traditional platforms constrain you to their theme systems and template structures
- Performance — headless storefronts served via CDN typically achieve sub-second page loads, whereas traditional platforms generate pages on each request, resulting in slower speeds
- Development complexity — traditional platforms are easier and cheaper to build on; headless requires skilled frontend developers and more upfront investment
- Content management — traditional platforms include built-in content tools; headless setups typically require a separate headless CMS such as Contentful, Sanity, or Storyblok
- Scalability — headless architecture scales more efficiently because the frontend and backend can be scaled independently, while monolithic platforms scale as a single unit
- Total cost of ownership — traditional builds are cheaper upfront (£2k–£25k); headless projects require significantly more investment (£30k–£200k+) but can deliver better long-term ROI for the right business
When Headless Commerce Makes Sense (and When It Does Not)
Headless commerce is not the right solution for every business. It introduces additional complexity, higher costs, and ongoing maintenance demands. Before committing to a headless approach, you should carefully consider whether it genuinely aligns with your business needs.
Headless is a good fit when you need:
- A completely custom frontend experience — your brand demands a unique, highly interactive storefront that no standard theme can deliver
- Omnichannel selling — you sell through web, mobile apps, in-store kiosks, smart devices, or social channels and need a single commerce backend for all of them
- Sub-second page performance — conversion-critical businesses where every millisecond of page load speed directly impacts revenue
- A dedicated development team — you have in-house developers or a retained agency with experience in modern frontend frameworks and API-driven development
- Complex, multi-market requirements — multiple storefronts, languages, currencies, and regional variations managed from a centralised backend
Headless is usually not the right choice when:
- Your budget is limited — if a traditional Shopify or WooCommerce theme-based build meets your requirements, headless will be an unnecessary expense
- You lack developer resources — headless storefronts require ongoing frontend maintenance; without developers, you cannot update content or fix issues quickly
- Speed to market is critical — traditional platforms launch faster because the frontend is pre-built; headless projects take significantly longer to develop
- Your catalogue is small and simple — if you sell a handful of products with standard variations, headless adds complexity without meaningful benefit
Headless Ecommerce Platforms
Several ecommerce platforms support headless architecture, either as their primary model or as an optional mode alongside their traditional storefront. Below are the most commonly used options for UK headless commerce projects.
Shopify Hydrogen & Storefront API
Shopify offers a powerful headless solution through its Storefront API and Hydrogen, a React-based framework built specifically for Shopify headless storefronts. Hydrogen runs on Shopify Oxygen (their hosting platform) and provides server-side rendering, streaming, and built-in commerce components. Ideal for brands already on Shopify who want headless without leaving the ecosystem.
WooCommerce Headless
WooCommerce exposes its data through the WooCommerce REST API and, with plugins, through WPGraphQL. Developers commonly pair it with Next.js or Gatsby on the frontend, using WordPress as a familiar backend for product and content management. A good option for teams with existing WordPress expertise who want headless flexibility without migrating their entire catalogue.
Magento (Adobe Commerce) PWA Studio
Magento supports headless development through its GraphQL API and PWA Studio, a toolkit for building progressive web app storefronts. Enterprise merchants on Adobe Commerce can leverage the full power of Magento's backend (complex catalogue rules, B2B features, multi-store) while delivering a fast, app-like frontend experience.
Commercetools
A cloud-native, API-first commerce platform built from the ground up for composable commerce. Commercetools provides microservices for products, carts, orders, payments, and more, all accessed through APIs. It is designed for enterprise-scale businesses that want to assemble a best-of-breed commerce stack. No built-in frontend at all — completely headless by design.
BigCommerce Headless
BigCommerce provides robust headless capabilities through its Storefront API, GraphQL API, and official Next.js starter. BigCommerce handles the commerce backend while you build a custom frontend with any framework. A strong option for mid-market to enterprise merchants who want a SaaS commerce engine without the complexity of a fully composable setup.
Other Headless Options
The headless commerce ecosystem also includes platforms like Medusa (open-source Node.js), Saleor (open-source Python/GraphQL), Elastic Path, and Fabric. These are typically adopted by larger organisations with specific technical requirements or teams that want complete control over their commerce infrastructure.
Frontend Frameworks for Headless Commerce
Choosing the right frontend framework is one of the most important decisions in a headless commerce project. Each framework has different strengths, and the best choice depends on your team's expertise, performance requirements, and the commerce platform you are using.
Next.js
The most popular choice for headless commerce frontends. Built on React, Next.js offers server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), incremental static regeneration (ISR), and API routes. Excellent performance, strong community, and official integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, and Commercetools. Deploys easily on Vercel or any Node.js hosting.
Nuxt
The Vue.js equivalent of Next.js. Nuxt provides SSR, SSG, and hybrid rendering with a developer-friendly convention-based structure. Preferred by teams with Vue.js expertise. Works well with WooCommerce, Magento, and any platform that exposes REST or GraphQL APIs. Strong in the European development community.
Gatsby
A React-based static site generator that excels at building blazing-fast storefronts from pre-rendered pages. Gatsby pulls data from multiple sources at build time (commerce platform, CMS, APIs) and outputs static HTML. Best for catalogue-driven sites with fewer dynamic interactions. Performance is outstanding for content-heavy stores.
Remix
A newer React framework focused on web standards and progressive enhancement. Remix loads data on the server by default, resulting in fast initial page loads and excellent accessibility. Shopify adopted Remix as the foundation for Hydrogen v2. Growing rapidly in the headless commerce space.
Astro & SvelteKit
Emerging frameworks gaining traction in headless commerce. Astro delivers near-zero JavaScript by default with islands architecture, perfect for content-rich commerce sites. SvelteKit compiles components at build time for minimal runtime overhead. Both are strong options for teams seeking cutting-edge performance.
Choosing the Right Framework
Your choice should be guided by your development team's existing skills, the commerce platform you are using (Hydrogen requires React; Shopify works best with Next.js or Remix), your performance requirements, and the complexity of your storefront. Most UK agencies working in headless commerce specialise in Next.js or Nuxt.
The Role of APIs, CDNs, and JAMstack
Headless commerce relies on a modern web infrastructure stack that separates content delivery from content generation. Understanding these building blocks helps you make informed decisions about your architecture.
- APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) — the glue that connects your frontend to your commerce backend, CMS, search engine, payment provider, and every other service in your stack. REST APIs and GraphQL are the two main approaches, with GraphQL becoming increasingly popular for commerce because it lets frontends request exactly the data they need
- CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) — networks of edge servers distributed globally that cache and serve your pre-rendered pages from the location closest to each visitor. Providers like Cloudflare, Vercel Edge, and AWS CloudFront ensure your pages load fast regardless of where your customer is located
- JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, Markup) — an architecture pattern where your pages are pre-built as static markup at deploy time, enhanced with JavaScript for dynamic functionality, and connected to backend services through APIs. This approach delivers exceptional performance, security, and scalability
- Headless CMS — content management systems like Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok, and Strapi that provide content through APIs rather than rendering pages themselves. In a headless commerce setup, a headless CMS often manages editorial content (blog posts, landing pages, promotional banners) alongside the commerce platform
- Edge computing — running server-side logic at CDN edge locations for personalisation, A/B testing, and dynamic content without the latency of a centralised server. Platforms like Vercel Edge Functions and Cloudflare Workers enable this pattern
UK Development Costs for Headless Commerce Projects
Headless commerce projects require a significantly larger investment than traditional ecommerce builds because of the custom frontend development, API integration work, and specialist expertise involved. Below are typical price ranges for UK-based headless commerce projects in 2026.
Headless Starter
£30,000 – £60,000
A headless storefront built on top of an existing commerce platform (Shopify, BigCommerce) using a framework starter kit or established design system. Includes core commerce pages, basic CMS integration, and deployment setup. Suited to brands wanting headless performance without a fully bespoke build.
Custom Headless Build
£60,000 – £120,000
A fully custom headless frontend with bespoke design, headless CMS integration (Contentful, Sanity, or Storyblok), multiple third-party API connections, advanced search, personalisation features, and thorough performance optimisation. Suitable for established brands with specific UX requirements.
Enterprise Composable Commerce
£120,000 – £200,000+
Full composable commerce architecture with multiple microservices, best-of-breed vendors for each capability (search, content, payments, OMS), multi-market and multi-language support, complex business logic, and enterprise integrations. Built for high-volume merchants with advanced requirements.
Specialist Developer (Hourly)
£80 – £180 /hr
Headless commerce developers command higher rates than traditional ecommerce developers because of the specialist frontend and API skills required. Senior developers with React/Next.js and commerce API experience are at the upper end of this range.
Ongoing Maintenance
£2,000 – £8,000 /mo
Headless storefronts require ongoing frontend maintenance, framework updates, API version management, performance monitoring, and content deployment support. Maintenance costs are higher than traditional platforms because more custom code needs to be maintained.
Platform & SaaS Costs
£500 – £5,000+ /mo
In addition to development costs, budget for your commerce platform subscription, headless CMS licence, hosting (Vercel, Netlify, or AWS), CDN, search service (Algolia, Typesense), and any other SaaS tools in your composable stack. These recurring costs add up and should be factored into your total cost of ownership.
Want to understand traditional ecommerce development costs for comparison? See our guides to Shopify developer costs, WooCommerce developer costs, and Magento developer costs in the UK, or read our guide to choosing the right ecommerce platform.
How to Find Headless Commerce Developers in the UK
Headless commerce is a specialist discipline that sits at the intersection of frontend engineering and ecommerce expertise. Finding the right team requires evaluating a different set of skills compared to traditional ecommerce development.
- Modern frontend framework expertise — look for proven experience with Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, or Gatsby in production commerce environments, not just prototypes
- Commerce API experience — hands-on work with Shopify Storefront API, WooCommerce REST API, Magento GraphQL, Commercetools, or BigCommerce APIs
- Live headless commerce projects in their portfolio — ask to see real headless storefronts they have built and deployed, not just traditional ecommerce work
- Performance engineering skills — understanding of SSR, SSG, ISR, edge caching, image optimisation, and Core Web Vitals. Headless is only worth the investment if the result is genuinely fast
- Infrastructure and DevOps knowledge — experience with CI/CD pipelines, hosting platforms (Vercel, Netlify, AWS), CDN configuration, and monitoring
- Headless CMS integration experience — working knowledge of Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok, or Strapi, including content modelling and preview environments
- Honest assessment of fit — a good headless agency will tell you if your project does not actually need headless architecture, saving you tens of thousands of pounds
Frequently Asked Questions About Headless Commerce
Headless commerce is an ecommerce architecture where the frontend (the customer-facing website or app) is decoupled from the backend (the commerce engine that handles products, orders, payments, and inventory). The two layers communicate through APIs. This means your developers can build a completely custom frontend using modern frameworks like Next.js or Nuxt without being constrained by the templates or themes provided by your ecommerce platform.
Headless commerce projects in the UK typically cost between £30,000 and £200,000 or more depending on complexity. A simpler headless storefront built on top of Shopify or BigCommerce using an existing design system might start around £30,000 to £60,000. A mid-range build with a custom frontend, multiple integrations, and content management usually falls between £60,000 and £120,000. Enterprise composable commerce projects with multiple microservices, complex business logic, and multi-market support can exceed £200,000. Ongoing maintenance typically runs from £2,000 to £8,000 per month.
Headless commerce is best suited to businesses that need a highly custom frontend experience, sell across multiple channels (web, mobile app, kiosks, social), require exceptional site performance, or have outgrown the limitations of traditional themed ecommerce platforms. It is generally not the right choice for small businesses with simple requirements, limited budgets, or small teams without dedicated developers. If a standard Shopify or WooCommerce theme meets your needs, a traditional setup is usually more cost-effective.
Headless commerce specifically refers to decoupling the frontend presentation layer from the backend commerce engine. Composable commerce takes this concept further by breaking the entire commerce stack into independent, best-of-breed components or microservices. In a composable architecture, you might use one vendor for product management, another for search, another for payments, and another for content management, all connected through APIs. Every composable commerce setup is headless, but not every headless setup is fully composable.
A headless commerce build typically takes longer than a traditional ecommerce project because of the additional frontend development and API integration work involved. A straightforward headless storefront using Shopify Hydrogen or a BigCommerce headless starter might take 8 to 14 weeks. A custom headless build with bespoke design, multiple integrations, and content management usually takes 14 to 24 weeks. Large-scale composable commerce projects with multiple microservices and complex requirements can take 6 to 12 months or longer.
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